Drapery hook



P. LEVIN E DRAPERY HOOK Aug. 4, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 1952 INVENTOR: PAUL LEVINE, BY 7--M&-4

ATTORNEY P. LEVINE DRAPERY HOOK- Aug. 4, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed ul 29, 1952 INVENTORZ PAUL LEViNE, BY MMAW ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE p I 2,647,574 I DRAPERY Hook Paul Levine, J amaica, N Y.

' I A Application July 29, 1952,'Serial No. 301,467

' The present invention relates to an improved drapery or curtain supporting hook and more particularly to a supporting hook adapted to form pleats at the top portion or heading of draperies or curtains.

'Heretofore, various types of hooks have been provided for supporting draperies on supporting rods. 'In some cases the hooks are of the type that is sewed to the back side of the heading of a drapery and in others the hooks are provided with sharp pin portions for insertion into the heading of draperies whereby the latter can be supported on rods of the various known types. The prior art has also disclosed various means for forming pleats in the headings of draperies and usually the means has been entirely apart from the hook supports for the drapery. More recently, in the patent to Bernhard, Pat. No. 2,599,- 429, issued June 3, 1952, for example, there has been disclosed a heading support which includes a suspension hook coupled with means on the shank of the hook extending laterally on both sides of the shank and having fabric engaging means on each end of the extension. The patent to Bernhard also discloses the provision of a tape provided with a plurality of straps and fastened to a drapery in order that the means extending laterally on both sides of the shank can be engaged therewith so as to form pleats and secure the hook to the drapery.

In arrangements such as is shown in the said patent, certain disadvantages exist. For example, the slits in. the tape that provide the straps will tend to tear into the straps because of the forces acting against the straps to retain them in pleating relationship. Furthermore, the forms of the combined hook and pleating means are rather complex and diflicult of manufacture thereby rendering the same individually expensive.

Another difficulty with the hooks of the prior art that have provided means for forming pleats is that the relationship between the hooks and the heading has had practically no degree of adjustment whereby the amount of heading extending above the supporting rod can be controlled.

Accordingly it is a primary object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior forms of combined hookand pleating means and to provide an improved supporting and pleating hook which is of simple form that can easily be manufactured.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved heading construction for draperies or curtains that is particularly adapted for cooperative use with my improved supporting 6 Claims. (01. 160348) and pleating hook but which is of such form as to be inherently resistant to tearing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved supporting and pleating hook wherein the leating portion includes a pair of leg elements which are adapted to clampingly engage spaced portions of the drapery heading so as to form a pleat, the leg elements of the pleating portion being resiliently retained in preselected relation to each other by the supporting hook portion which is integral with the pleating portion.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved supporting and pleating hook wherein means is provided for vertically adjustably relating the hook to the drapery heading so that the amount of heading above the supporting rod can be controlled.

A feature of'the present invention is that by providing a plurality of predeterminedly spaced pockets in the heading of the drapery with which the resilient legs of the pleating portion are to cooperate, various size pleats can be formed by selecting the spaced pockets that will give the pleat size desired. Another feature is that the normally required accuracy in hemming draperies and fastening the tape to the heading thereof is reduced inasmuch as the supporting and pleating hooks can beadjusted relative to the heading.

Various other objects and features of advantage, such as inexpensivenessand ease of application to drapery headings, will more fully appear from the detailed description to follow. The best form in which'I have contemplated applying my invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

c Figure 1 is a front view in perspective of a portion of the top of a drapery or curtain showing the supporting and pleating hooks attached thereto in dotted lines and engaged on a support ing rod;

Figure 2 is a rear view in perspective showing the manner in which the hooks are applied to the drapery heading to form pleats;

Figure 2a is similar to Figure 2 .but shows the hooks in relatively downwardly adjusted relation to the drapery heading;

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view showing the cooperation between the hook and the type of rod having openings therein;

, Figure 4 is a detail perspective view 'of a traverse-type of rod and the manner in which a hook can be associated therewith;

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of theheading of a drapery showingthe mannerin which 3 the pockets are formed by stitching the backing or stifiening tape material to the drapery;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line 6 -6 of Figure Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5 but merely showing the folded, pocket-forming material;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line 8-8 of Figure '7;

Figure 9 is a detail side elevational view of my improved hook while Figure 10 is a front elevational and Figure 11 is a rear elevational view of my improved hook;

Figure 12 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line |2--l2 of Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a detail view of portions of the leg elements of the hook with the ring to be associated therewith; and

Figure 14 is a side elevational view of a U-shaped element that is adapted for use in forming a pleat without necessitating the provision of a hook at that pleat.

Having reference to Figures 1 and 5 through 8 in. particular, the heading construction designated generally as to that I employ will be described. in detail. Asis usual the upper edge portion I 2 of the drapery I4 is folded at Hi and again at It, a line of stitching at 29 fastening the folded over portion 22 to the main portion 24 of the drapery so as to provide an upper hem. Another piece of material 26 such as stiifening tape or the like of a suitable width is folded in the manner shown in Figure 8 so as to have fold lines at 2:3,- 30 and 32 with the edge portion 33 adjacent the fold line 28 extending outwardly of the fold line 32. The folded piece of material 25 has a continuous line of stitching 34 securing the front panel 36 and rear panel 38 together to form a plurality of spaced pockets 40. The folded piece of material 26 with the pockets 40 formed therein is superimposed on the back portion of the top of the drapery at the hem and secured thereto by the lines of stitching at 42 and 44,. the line of stitching. 42 passing through both thicknesses of the material adjacent the fold 30 whereas the line of stitching 44 passes through only the edge portion 33 of the rear panel. 38.

Figures 9 through 13 show the details of the supporting and pleating hook 46 which is comprised of a unitary wire-like member 41 having an. intermediate portion 48 folded and angulated to provide a hook-like portion 50. The: end portions of the wire-like member 41 are bent back at 52 so as to be juxtaposed. to the shank portion 54 of the hook-like portion thereby providing a pair of leg elements 55 and 58 slightly spread apart, the intermediate. hook portion resiliently maintaining the leg elements in that relationship. The free ends 60 and 62' of the leg elements are extended outwardly and in opposite directions in relation to the plane of the leg elements 56 and 58. A flat elongated ring 64 is engaged over the leg elements 56 and 5B, the opening in the ring is of such size as to maintain the leg elements in close relation to each other.

Looking now at Figures 1-4, the manner in which the supporting and pleating hook cooperates with the drapery heading to support the same and form pleats 55 therein is clearly shown. Each of the leg elements 56 and 58 is engaged in a preselected pocket 40. If a small pleat is to be-f-or-med, the leg elements are engaged in adjacent pockets, and if a larger pleat is to be formed, the leg. elements are engaged in alternate or otherwise spaced pockets. The: resiliency of the such as shown in Figure 3.

legs retains the pockets in which they are engaged in close relation to form a pleat. As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the leg elements are engaged to their fullest extent in the pockets 40, and bend 52 engaging the mouth of the pocket. Of course, any desired number of the hooks 46 can be employed depending upon the number of supporting and pleating hooks desired. If it be desired to form a pleat without providing a supporting hook, a U-shaped wire element 66-, such as is shown in Figure 14, can be employed, the legs of the element 56 being engaged in preselected of the pockets as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 2a.

After the supporting and pleating hooks have been engaged in the drapery heading, the hook portions can be engaged over a curtain or drapery rod 68- in the manner shown in Figures 1, 2 and 2a, or through openings 10 in the drapery rod Another mode of supporting draperies is shown in Figure 4 wherein a traverse rod 12 shown with a ring 14 slidably mounted thereon to suspend the reduced diameter ring portion it The hook portion 50 can. be engaged in the ring 16 for movement therewith.

Where-it isdesired that the drapery heading extend upwardly of the drapery supporting rod an amount greater than. it normally does with the leg elements 55 and 58 fully inserted into pockets, as in Figures 1 and. 2, the books 46 are adjusted relative to the pockets 40 and the rings '54 are slid into abutment with the told at 32, thereby resiliently. drawing the leg elements of each hook together to clampingly hold the pockets in pleatforming relationship, as shown best in. Figure 2a.. 7

Various modifications and variations can be made which will fall within the scope. of my in vention as defined in the accompanying claims. For example, if desired, thev books can be first engaged on. the supporting. rod and. the drapery thereafter engaged on the hooks by inserting t e leg elements into the selected pockets. It will also be understood. that the piece of material 26 can be attached to the drapery heading by the same line of stitching 34 that forms the pockets 40. Furthermore, where it is desired to provide a supporting hook without forming a pleat, both of the leg elements of the hook can be engaged in a single pocket as at H in Figures 1 and 2.

I claim:

1.. A supporting and pleating hook for draperies comprising a pair of elongated, juxtaposed leg elements having a hook-like portion integrally extending therefrom and resiliently joining said leg elements together, both of said leg elements being adapted to be engaged with spaced por tions on the back side of a drapery, and means for urging said leg elements together for clarnpingly maintaining the spaced portions of the drapery together thereby forming a pleat therein.

2. A supporting and pleating hook for draperies comprising a pair of elongated, juxtaposed leg elements having a hook-like portion integrally extending. therefrom and resiliently joining said leg elements together", both of said. leg elements being adapted to be engaged with spaced portions on the back side of. a drapery, and. means for urging said leg elements together for clampingly maintaining the spaced. portions of the drapery together thereby forming a pleat therein, said means including a ring encircling the pair of leg elements.

3. A supporting and pleating hook for draperies comprising a unitary, resilient, wire-like memher having a doubled-up, angulated, hook-like intermediate portion, and juxtaposed end portions providing leg elements, both of said leg elements being adapted to be engaged with spaced portions of the back side of a drapery, and slidable ring means encircling said pair of leg elements and longitudinally adjustable relative thereto for urging said leg elements together for clampingly maintaining the spaced portions of the drapery together thereby forming a pleat therein.

4. A drapery top pleating construction including when emplaced an elongated piece of material folded approximately on a central longitudinal fold. line, and stitching joining said folded piece to the top portion of a drapery and providing a plurality of spaced pockets, a supporting and pleating hook comprising a pair of elongated leg elements having a hook-like portion extending therefrom for engagement with a supporting rod, said leg elements being resilient and resiliently movable toward and away from each other, each of said leg elements being engageable in a separate one of said spaced pockets, and means for urging said leg element together for clampingly maintaining the spaced pockets together thus forming a pleat in the top portion of the drapery.

5. A drapery top pleating construction including when emplaced an elongated piece of material folded approximately on a central longitudinal fold line, and stitching joining said folded piece to the top portion of a drapery and providing a plurality of spaced pockets, a supporting and pleating hook comprising a unitary, resilient, wire-like member having a doubled-up, angulated, hook-like intermediate portion, and juxtaposed end portions providing leg elements, each of said leg elements being engageable in a separate one of said spaced pockets, and means for urging said leg elements together for clampingly maintaining the spaced pockets together thus forming a pleat in the top portion of the drapery.

6. A drapery top pleating construction including when emplaced an elongated piece of material folded approximately on a central longitudinal fold line, and stitching joining said folded piece to the top portion of a drapery and providing a plurality of spaced pockets, a supporting and pleating hook comprising a unitary, resilient, wire-like member having a doubled-up, angulated, hook-like intermediate portion, and juxtaposed end portions providing leg elements, each of said leg elements being engageable in a separate one of said spaced pockets, and slidable ring means encircling said pair of leg elements and longitudinally adjustable relative thereto for urging said leg elements together in adjusted relation to the length of the pockets and clampingly maintaining the spaced pockets together thus forming a pleat in the top portion of the drapery and to adjust the height of the drapery above a supporting rod.

PAUL LEVINE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,091,471 Ashmore Mar. 31, 1914 1,862,836 Vance June 14, 1932 2,063,332 Niese Dec. 8, 1936 2,363,847 Dudas Nov. 28, 1944 2,524,403 Solomon Oct. 3, 1950 2,533,216 Bixer Dec. 12, 1950 2,558,467 Solomon June 26, 1951 2,592,478 Sherman Apr. 8, 1952 

